Occupational Illnesses

New York — OSHA’s New York City Region has renewed its emphasis program on worker exposure to noise.

Washington — OSHA has extended for another year its National Emphasis Program on outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards

Washington — OSHA has terminated its rulemaking on COVID-19 exposure in health care settings to “focus its resources on the completion of an infectious diseases rulemaking.”

Washington — The Department of Labor has revised the Black Lung Benefits Act to require self-insured coal mine operators to “post adequate security for their benefit liabilities.”

Waltham, MA — The number of heat-related illnesses “increases significantly” once the temperature rises above 80° F, results of a recent analysis from the Workers Compensation Research Institute show.

Washington — Construction workers exposed to noise on the job face a higher risk of hearing loss than noise-exposed workers in all other industries do, results of a recent NIOSH study show.

Worcester, MA — Workers in marijuana processing facilities must be informed about the hazards of exposure to ground cannabis dust, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission reminds employers in a recently published safety bulletin.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency will begin the risk management process to “address the unreasonable risk presented by legacy uses and associated disposal of asbestos,” which includes publishing a proposed rule to “protect people from the identified risks.”

Washington — OSHA has extended until Jan. 14 the comment period on a proposed rule aimed at protecting indoor and outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses.

Los Angeles — A recent study out of the University of California, Los Angeles could accelerate the identification of the riskiest cancer-causing chemicals for firefighters and other people exposed to fires.